Update: Stricken with Pneumonia, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg about to Retire from the Supreme Court. https://www.smobserved.com/story/2019/01/07/news/stricken-with-pneumonia-ruth-bader-ginsburg-about-to-retire-from-supreme-court/3780.html Editor's Note; We first posted this story in September, 2018. Sadly we were correct, as Justice Ginsburg underwent surgery on December 15th to remove a cancerous growth from her lungs. We are reposting it since so many people contacted us to ask if it was true, which sadly, it is. She did not appear for oral arguments on January 7, 2019, & it is becoming increasingly clear that she will not ever return to the bench. https://www.smobserved.com/story/2018/12/20/news/snopes-decries-observer-as-fake-news-for-posting-story-that-justice-ginsburg-has-cancer-sadly-we-were-right/3766.html While the Nation is preoccupied with the...

In light of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s history of cancers and most recently, a surgery to have cancerous tumors removed from her lungs as well as her absence from the bench, Dr. Joseph Bentivegna writes Bader, 85, is quite ill. Dr. Bentivegna, M.D. says the media who have commented on Ginsburg’s health are “underestimating the severity of her illness,” and that “President Trump has a reasonable chance” of replacing Ginsburg in his first term. If Trump wins reelection, the doctor believes Trump has at least an 80% chance of replacing Ginsburg — we believe that chance is much much higher.The...

Officials with the U.S. Supreme Court have tried to downplay the fact that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg missed three days’ worth of oral arguments this week as related to her recent cancer surgery. “Her recovery from surgery is on track. Post-surgery evaluation indicates no evidence of remaining disease, and no further treatment is required,” said court spokesperson Kathy Arberg. While that statement can be taken a couple of different ways, The Hill is reporting that the Clinton-nominated justice will also be out next week, which will no doubt set off panic among Left-wing groups and congressional Democrats...

The U.S. economy may be in the middle of one of the longest recoveries ever, but Alan Greenspan tells Barron’s that the economy doesn’t look so great—and could well get worse. The challenges that Greenspan sees are familiar ones, such as the ballooning deficit and the rising costs of entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare. But the former Federal Reserve chairman says there’s an urgency in tackling these problems as inflation looms, populism spreads, and China’s economic might increases. Greenspan, now 92, presided over a period of economic prosperity from 1987 to 2006 that earned him rock-star-like devotion by...

Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas was pretty clear Friday in explaining his decision to forgo another campaign in 2020. “I just think it’s time,” he told reporters in Manhattan. He’s right about that, of course. Four decades in Washington is long enough. There’s a thin line between helpful experience and atrophy, and Roberts has approached it on more than one occasion. On Friday, Roberts pointed with pride to work on eight farm bills during his time in office. Eight? Do farmers really need that much help? Is there a better way to protect the food supply? Roberts isn’t the right...

One core belief I have always held is that our strength as a nation is inextricably linked to the strength of our unique and comprehensive system of alliances and partnerships. While the US remains the indispensable nation in the free world, we cannot protect our interests or serve that role effectively without maintaining strong alliances and showing respect to those allies. Like you, I have said from the beginning that the armed forces of the United States should not be the policeman of the world. Instead, we must use all tools of American power to provide for the common defense,...

Moon Fahel from San Antonio, Texas, had just gotten home from a martial arts class that he’s been taking for the last 15 years when he answered the phone call from Runner’s World. It wasn’t an anomaly—he stays busy with other classes during rest of the week, too: kickboxing, Zumba, athletic dancing, and BODYPUMP, among others. Plus, he just ran his fifth marathon this past Sunday at the San Antonio Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon. Oh, and he’s 85 years of age. (The word “old” doesn’t have a place in his vocabulary.) “I don’t know what old is,” Fahel said. “If...

When it comes to the oldest justice currently serving on the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the message has long since set in for liberals. Donald Trump is going to be in office for two or possibly six more years and for at least the next two, the GOP controls the Senate. How much longer will she remain on the bench? After her recent health scare (a fall resulting in some broken ribs), some alarmed Democrats are growing resentful that Ginsburg didnâ€™t retire when Barack Obama was in office and she had the chance to give up her seat to...

After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils how they spent their holiday away from school. One child wrote the following: "We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick house but Grandpa got retarded and they moved to Florida .. "Now they live in a tin box and have rocks painted green to look like grass. They ride around on their bicycles and wear name tags because they don't know who they are anymore. "They go to a building called a wreck center, but they must have got it...

Two recent studies of public sector pay and retirement benefits show tens of thousands of retired Illinois public employees making six-figures or more in all levels of government, dwarfing figures from states with more people. ... Illinois has more than $130 billion in unfunded pension debt for its five state-run pension systems. Adding in other post employment benefits, that number climbs to more than $200 billion. Municipal governments in Illinois also are struggling with unfunded pension liability. Some report using most, if not all, of their share of property taxes to pay pension costs. Taxpayers United of America said Illinois’...

We have detailed this problem over the past 3-4 years warning people about how bad the pensions around the nation have become nothing more than another ponzi scheme. Most, if not all, state, local and federal pension programs are underfunded by 40% or more.What we stated a mere two months ago, in September 2018! The steam that is building began in earnest in 2012 and has been picking up speed ever since. Look no further than some of the recent events we have documented time and again Â– Detroit, CALPers, Jeremy Stein, Teamsters and Dallas Pension Fund. All of these...

I find it fascinating, which I suppose points to my lack of sophistication ... when I read from a Freeper who’s living in Singapore or some other such place. A U.S. citizen born and raised that chose that. I’ve flirted with it, no further than fingers typing on a keyboard from time to time where the interest quickly fleets. Frankly, I would be scared. But if I could escape the constant drum beat of liberal psychosis it would seem a path worth consideration. From someone to turn 64 in a few months and the realization of days dwindling. My questions...

Easy Street: POTUS Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order instructing federal agencies to loosen or change regulations that will make it far easier for more Americans to retire with more money.

The vast majority of Americans, 78 percent, say they're "extremely" or "somewhat" concerned about not having enough money for retirement, according to Northwestern Mutual's 2018 Planning & Progress Study. And for good reason: A shocking 21 percent of Americans have nothing at all saved for the future, and another 10 percent have less than $5,000 tucked away, the study finds. That means about a third of Americans have only a few thousand dollars, or less, put away for their golden years.

For a rapidly growing share of older Americans, traditional ideas about life in retirement are being upended by a dismal reality: bankruptcy. The signs of potential trouble — vanishing pensions, soaring medical expenses, inadequate savings — have been building for years. Now, new research sheds light on the scope of the problem: The rate of people 65 and older filing for bankruptcy is three times what it was in 1991, the study found, and the same group accounts for a far greater share of all filers. Driving the surge, the study suggests, is a three-decade shift of financial risk from...

Legislation that would dramatically increase an important contribution limit just cleared a major hurdle. The House of Representatives recently passed two pieces of legislation that would make significant changes to health savings accounts (HSAs), including a massive increase in the amount of tax-deferred contributions that could be made to them. These changes could not only allow Americans to get more of a tax deduction for their healthcare expenditures, but they could also help participants build their retirement nest eggs at a faster rate. Here's a rundown of what the new HSA contribution limit could be, why it matters for retirement...

The maximum monthly Social Security benefit for a person retiring in 2018, at their full retirement age, is $2,788 per month , or $33,456 per year. To achieve this benefit, you must have had the maximum taxable earning for a whopping 35 years. It is for this reason, that most people’s benefits will be far less. Forget this number if you plan to retire ahead of your full retirement age. Do you think you could live off $2,788 per month? Before you think about that, it’s important to note that the average check for 2018 is just $1,404 per month....

It's not too late to increase your take-home from America's most important social program. There's a really good chance you'll be reliant on Social Security when you retire. According to data from the Social Security Administration, 62% of today's aged beneficiaries lean on the program to provide at least half of their monthly income. Of these folks, 34% rely on Social Security for virtually all of their income (90% to 100%). As for future retirees, national pollster Gallup found a strong expected reliance in an April 2018 survey. When polling nonretirees, Gallup observed that 30% expect Social Security to be...

The Motley Fool ^ | updated on January 11, 2018, and originally published on March 25, 2017 | Todd Campbell (TMFEBCapital)

Social Security benefits can be claimed at any point after a recipient turns age 62, and most Americans take their Social Security as soon as they can. Claiming benefits early can be smart, but it can pay off to wait. If you're deciding when to start receiving Social Security, here's what to consider. Estimate your expenses Retirement usually means a big drop in income, and if you don't have a solid grasp on what your spending is going to look like in retirement, then you won't be able to make the best decision on when to claim. Depending on who...